This is an article by Mem Fox, talking about writing, why people write and suggestions for teachers who want their students to write in meaningful ways.
Use your notebook to breathe in the world around you. You can write about:
1) What amazes/surprises/anger you
2) What you wonder about
3) What you notice
4) "Seed Ideas" or "Triggers" to generate stories or poems
5) Small details that intrigue you
6) Snatches of talk you overhear
7) Memories
8) Lists
9) Photos, articles, ticket stubs or other artifacts
10) Your own sketches, drawings or doodle
11) Quotes or inspiring passages from books or poems
I wrote these lyrics in my writer's notebook in early April. This is a simple recording, involving only 1 acoustic guitar and 1 electric guitar. The lyrics are the main focus of this track. It will be featured on Alex and the XO's upcoming EP release, entitled,"Split Screens". finger snapping by Janice
LYRICS/WRITER'S NOTEBOOK ARTIFACT:
Tori Alland
Poem presented at swim banquet
I wrote this poem in early April and based it off of experiences that happened throughout the year on the swim team. Every two lines rhyme together.
All The Time Together
Another year has come and gone, And I thought this poem just must go on.
I am here to discuss the season past, And unfortunately this poem will be my last.
A brave new face will have to take, On this poem for goodness sake.
This season started with 9 new faces, Eager to swim and dive in new places.
We decided to keep the wristbands going, ONE team ONE dream was all that’s showing.
Before we knew it, meet season had arrived The distance meet was the first we S U R V I V E D.
The weather was better, but the girls were still FROZEN, 10 laps were required in the new lake that was chosen.
The season rolled on and the practices got longer, But with Tyler’s support we all grew stronger.
All the hard work we went through day after day, Paid off in Akron in a really big way.
ChRiStMaS approached and we all knew, A few days at home then to PuERTo Rico we flew.
The big day arrived when we were leaving the states, Excited and ready we all met at the Gates.
Thanks to Phil we flew straight there, Avoiding the replay of last years Scare.
We loaded the bus for our first work out, Looking forward to the music we all love to shout.
Flashing lights and loud Music to and from the pool, The trip to practice really wasn’t that cruel.
The natatorium was awfully nice, But we’re pretty sure they packed it with ICE.
Then came the decision about where to spend the day, Pool or the BEACH never caused a delay.
After long days of practice we got time to explore, Whether zip-lining, BOATING, or time on theSHORE.
Back at the hotel after a day for the taking, The seniors got dressed up for a night in the making.
They went out on the town for a special meal, Steve paid for it all it was quite a deal.
Christmas continued for the birds on the break, An AWESOME white sweatshirt we all got to take.
Twelve days in PuERTo Rico went by quite fast, Who would think we would want to be in the past.
We headed back to Normal kinda sad to go, We were greeted with a gift of an EXTRA day to lay low.
Back at Horton to work toward our dream, No one could stop this amazing team.
Lets not forget the people who pushed us each day, Steve, Phil and Sarah always knew what to say!
And don’t forget the one who keeps us well,
MELISSA is there whenever we yell.
Our teammates and Parents, our Coachesand friends, You know that we love you all to no ends.
The season has flown by and this year is in the past, We want to thank you all for making this time such a BLAST.
“Mom, there’s a cat on the deck,” said my son Ryan, looking out the patio door.
“What? We don’t have a cat!” I said. I was standing at the sink after supper, washing the dishes and staring out the window into the dark. I couldn’t see what he was talking about.
“It’s digging into the bucket of apples,” he said. “His tail is weird though, kinda pointy with no fur.”
“Ryan, there’s no cat out there. Go get ready for bed,” I said, shooing him off to his room.
I awoke the next morning and trudged off to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. Soon Ryan shuffles in, sleepy-eyed and hungry for breakfast. He pours himself some cereal and milk and sits down at the kitchen table. I head to the laundry room to tackle the never-ending pile of clothes.
“Mom, the cat is back!” he shouts from the kitchen. “His tail is sticking out of the apple bucket!”
Over the drone of the washer and dryer, I holler back “Just a minute! I’m busy!” As a mother of four, I’m constantly being pulled in different directions. At that moment, a hot cup of coffee was my first priority.
I head into the kitchen and look over to Ryan, who is staring out the patio door while slowly spooning Frosted Flakes into his mouth and spilling some milk on the way there.
“As soon as you finish your cereal, you need to head out and feed your rabbit,” I tell him.
“Nuh, uh; no way, Jose!” he tells me. “Not with that goofy cat out there! He might git me!”
Curiosity finally got the best of me, so I headed over to the patio doors to see what he was so worked up about. And sure enough, there was a critter in the apple bucket!
But it wasn’t a scraggly old cat. It was a possum, skinny and ugly and hissing through the glass at us! No wonder Ryan didn’t want to go out there!
My adrenaline at an all-time high, I grabbed a shovel from the garage and headed out the patio doors to whack that nasty critter out of my apple bucket and off my deck! He limped across the field and down to the creek after that, making this Mom a SUPERHERO and providing a silly story for my kids to share with their kids someday!
There are very few things that I would sacrifice my time with my cozy inviting bed for, but this was one of them. Up before the shattering light broke through my window, we were on our way. We arrived as the salty smell overtook our noses, and began our journey. Feeling like I couldn't stand on my own two feet because the rocking motion was too much. I found a seat on the boat and sat down. As we drifted out to sea, I drifted off to sleep. I was awaken by my mother’s gentle voice asking if I wanted to give it a try. I definitely did. I jumped from my seat and sprung towards the edge of the boat. It didn't take long to feel my little 10 year old body being thrust towards the side of the boat. Good thing my father was as quick as he is and caught me before tumbling into the deep blue water. With very little effort on my part and aggressive pulling from my dad, I did it! I pulled it out of the water and it looked like a little spiked softball. The captain said I could take a quick picture, but we had to throw it back because some puffer fish are poisonous if you touch the spikes! So I got a quick picture and threw him back! Now that’s a memory I won’t forget!
琵琶湖の力 Biwako no Chikara: The Power of Lake Biwa, by Megan Thompson
At one point I started writing about one of my most memorable life experiences from when I lived in Japan, but I wasn't happy with the format. It was interesting for me because it was something I experienced, but I felt it might fall flat. Instead, I decided to tell the same story using a poetic format I learned in high school, writing quatrains in an 8.6.8.6 format. It's a little hard to understand without knowing some of the details, but it's a very personal piece for me! Below are the quatrains, but if you open the Publisher file you can see the watermarked pictures that go along with it to help tell the story.
For Golden Week, a message sent,
We didn’t think it strange,
Directions to some monuments,
Our lives about to change
The purpose was to find a route,
Better suited to our needs,
Instead we got a faithful guide,
And half we got to see.
The first one down, an odd request,
Any chance that we could sing,
A version of a local song,
In English, it would ring.
The lyrics, to a Western eye,
Were readable before,
But now, along with Japanese,
Was English at the fore.
So we gathered in Imazu,
Our guide, my twin, and I,
At a port in western Shiga,
The song was debuted live
In Fall a Kyoto studio,
Six hours to record,
Back to Shiga and Kagawa,
Life moved ever forward
Then months and months did pass us by,
No sound at all was heard,
Then finally there came the day,
The song, our lives, did merge.
Our chance, we thought, was limited,
To make it on the show,
Then suddenly we heard our names,
Of twenty we could crow.
So live to air across the land,
Our voices soared in song,
And afterward the end result,
Gokaku we had won.
Our story doesn’t quite end there,
Our task, it wasn’t over,
The CD was at last released,
And us right on the cover.
The release, it coincided
With a tour, cruise, and contest,
Ninety years since Oguchi-san,
Had written with a zest.
That year, it still amazes me,
When given time to think,
Now mentioned in lake history,
And Japan, the deciding link.
Brooke Greenwood I got inspired to write this one morning after I woke up due to this little birdie.
Resources for Writer's Workshop...
This is an article by Mem Fox, talking about writing, why people write and suggestions for teachers who want their students to write in meaningful ways.
http://www.memfox.com/notes-from-the-battlefield.htmlThe Writer's Craft
6-Traits Writing Fix
Find lesson plans and Mentor Texts that show writer's craft
Mentor Text Resources
Mentor Texts
http://www.lausd.net/Corona_EL/Mentor_Text.html
Busy Teacher Cafe
Ideas for Writer's Workshop
http://readingrecovery.org/images/pdfs/Conferences/NC09/Handouts/Hoover_Lutz_Writing_Workshop_Mini-Lessons.pdf
Ralph Fletcher talks about the Writer's Notebook
Use your notebook to breathe in the world around you. You can write about:
1) What amazes/surprises/anger you
2) What you wonder about
3) What you notice
4) "Seed Ideas" or "Triggers" to generate stories or poems
5) Small details that intrigue you
6) Snatches of talk you overhear
7) Memories
8) Lists
9) Photos, articles, ticket stubs or other artifacts
10) Your own sketches, drawings or doodle
11) Quotes or inspiring passages from books or poems
http://www.ralphfletcher.com/tips.html
Other Ideas for your Writer's Notebook:
Share your Minilesson Plans with others...
PUBLISHED WORKS FROM WRITER'S NOTEBOOK:
<iframe src="http://prezi.com/embed/-ap2_zkdktak/?bgcolor=ffffff&lock_to_path=0&autoplay=0&autohide_ctrls=0&features=undefined&disabled_features=undefined" width="550" height="400" frameBorder="0"></iframe>
Alexandra Fisher
Lyrics/Song
Entitled: "Clean Break (Your Mistake)"
If this widget doesn't work for you, use this link:
https://soundcloud.com/alexbakescakes/clean-break
- I wrote these lyrics in my writer's notebook in early April. This is a simple recording, involving only 1 acoustic guitar and 1 electric guitar. The lyrics are the main focus of this track. It will be featured on Alex and the XO's upcoming EP release, entitled,"Split Screens". finger snapping by Janice
LYRICS/WRITER'S NOTEBOOK ARTIFACT:Tori Alland
Poem presented at swim banquet
I wrote this poem in early April and based it off of experiences that happened throughout the year on the swim team. Every two lines rhyme together.
Another year has come and gone,
And I thought this poem just must go on.
I am here to discuss the season past,
And unfortunately this poem will be my last.
A brave new face will have to take,
On this poem for goodness sake.
This season started with 9 new faces,
Eager to swim and dive in new places.
We decided to keep the wristbands going,
ONE team ONE dream was all that’s showing.
Before we knew it, meet season had arrived
The distance meet was the first we S U R V I V E D.
The weather was better, but the girls were still FROZEN,
10 laps were required in the new lake that was chosen.
The season rolled on and the practices got longer,
But with Tyler’s support we all grew stronger.
All the hard work we went through day after day,
Paid off in Akron in a really big way.
ChRiStMaS approached and we all knew,
A few days at home then to PuERTo Rico we flew.
The big day arrived when we were leaving the states,
Excited and ready we all met at the Gates.
Thanks to Phil we flew straight there,
Avoiding the replay of last years Scare.
We loaded the bus for our first work out,
Looking forward to the music we all love to shout.
Flashing lights and loud Music to and from the pool,
The trip to practice really wasn’t that cruel.
The natatorium was awfully nice,
But we’re pretty sure they packed it with ICE.
Then came the decision about where to spend the day,
Pool or the BEACH never caused a delay.
After long days of practice we got time to explore,
Whether zip-lining, BOATING, or time on theSHORE.
Back at the hotel after a day for the taking,
The seniors got dressed up for a night in the making.
They went out on the town for a special meal,
Steve paid for it all it was quite a deal.
Christmas continued for the birds on the break,
An AWESOME white sweatshirt we all got to take.
Twelve days in PuERTo Rico went by quite fast,
Who would think we would want to be in the past.
We headed back to Normal kinda sad to go,
We were greeted with a gift of an EXTRA day to lay low.
Back at Horton to work toward our dream,
No one could stop this amazing team.
Lets not forget the people who pushed us each day,
Steve, Phil and Sarah always knew what to say!
And don’t forget the one who keeps us well,
MELISSA is there whenever we yell.
Our teammates and Parents, our Coachesand friends,
You know that we love you all to no ends.
The season has flown by and this year is in the past,
We want to thank you all for making this time such a BLAST.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Tale about a Tail
“Mom, there’s a cat on the deck,” said my son Ryan, looking out the patio door.
“What? We don’t have a cat!” I said. I was standing at the sink after supper, washing the dishes and staring out the window into the dark. I couldn’t see what he was talking about.
“It’s digging into the bucket of apples,” he said. “His tail is weird though, kinda pointy with no fur.”
“Ryan, there’s no cat out there. Go get ready for bed,” I said, shooing him off to his room.
I awoke the next morning and trudged off to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. Soon Ryan shuffles in, sleepy-eyed and hungry for breakfast. He pours himself some cereal and milk and sits down at the kitchen table. I head to the laundry room to tackle the never-ending pile of clothes.
“Mom, the cat is back!” he shouts from the kitchen. “His tail is sticking out of the apple bucket!”
Over the drone of the washer and dryer, I holler back “Just a minute! I’m busy!” As a mother of four, I’m constantly being pulled in different directions. At that moment, a hot cup of coffee was my first priority.
I head into the kitchen and look over to Ryan, who is staring out the patio door while slowly spooning Frosted Flakes into his mouth and spilling some milk on the way there.
“As soon as you finish your cereal, you need to head out and feed your rabbit,” I tell him.
“Nuh, uh; no way, Jose!” he tells me. “Not with that goofy cat out there! He might git me!”
But it wasn’t a scraggly old cat. It was a possum, skinny and ugly and hissing through the glass at us! No wonder Ryan didn’t want to go out there!
My adrenaline at an all-time high, I grabbed a shovel from the garage and headed out the patio doors to whack that nasty critter out of my apple bucket and off my deck! He limped across the field and down to the creek after that, making this Mom a SUPERHERO and providing a silly story for my kids to share with their kids someday!
==
==
A Memory I won't Forget by: KellyThere are very few things that I would sacrifice my time with my cozy inviting bed for, but this was one of them. Up before the shattering light broke through my window, we were on our way. We arrived as the salty smell overtook our noses, and began our journey. Feeling like I couldn't stand on my own two feet because the rocking motion was too much. I found a seat on the boat and sat down. As we drifted out to sea, I drifted off to sleep. I was awaken by my mother’s gentle voice asking if I wanted to give it a try. I definitely did. I jumped from my seat and sprung towards the edge of the boat. It didn't take long to feel my little 10 year old body being thrust towards the side of the boat. Good thing my father was as quick as he is and caught me before tumbling into the deep blue water. With very little effort on my part and aggressive pulling from my dad, I did it! I pulled it out of the water and it looked like a little spiked softball. The captain said I could take a quick picture, but we had to throw it back because some puffer fish are poisonous if you touch the spikes! So I got a quick picture and threw him back! Now that’s a memory I won’t forget!
琵琶湖の力 Biwako no Chikara: The Power of Lake Biwa, by Megan Thompson
At one point I started writing about one of my most memorable life experiences from when I lived in Japan, but I wasn't happy with the format. It was interesting for me because it was something I experienced, but I felt it might fall flat. Instead, I decided to tell the same story using a poetic format I learned in high school, writing quatrains in an 8.6.8.6 format. It's a little hard to understand without knowing some of the details, but it's a very personal piece for me! Below are the quatrains, but if you open the Publisher file you can see the watermarked pictures that go along with it to help tell the story.
For Golden Week, a message sent,
We didn’t think it strange,
Directions to some monuments,
Our lives about to change
The purpose was to find a route,
Better suited to our needs,
Instead we got a faithful guide,
And half we got to see.
The first one down, an odd request,
Any chance that we could sing,
A version of a local song,
In English, it would ring.
The lyrics, to a Western eye,
Were readable before,
But now, along with Japanese,
Was English at the fore.
So we gathered in Imazu,
Our guide, my twin, and I,
At a port in western Shiga,
The song was debuted live
In Fall a Kyoto studio,
Six hours to record,
Back to Shiga and Kagawa,
Life moved ever forward
Then months and months did pass us by,
No sound at all was heard,
Then finally there came the day,
The song, our lives, did merge.
Our chance, we thought, was limited,
To make it on the show,
Then suddenly we heard our names,
Of twenty we could crow.
So live to air across the land,
Our voices soared in song,
And afterward the end result,
Gokaku we had won.
Our story doesn’t quite end there,
Our task, it wasn’t over,
The CD was at last released,
And us right on the cover.
The release, it coincided
With a tour, cruise, and contest,
Ninety years since Oguchi-san,
Had written with a zest.
That year, it still amazes me,
When given time to think,
Now mentioned in lake history,
And Japan, the deciding link.
Brooke Greenwood
I got inspired to write this one morning after I woke up due to this little birdie.
Katy Chmela's Six Word Memoir
"Why such worry? I'd rather Wonder."
Bri Vigna
Allie Romolo's "Bittersweet Memories" Poem
Randall Koehler's Clinical Reflection Poem
Prezi presentation on technology in classroom
http://prezi.com/lqpw2l_kat2z/technology-in-a-classroom/
Nicole's 6 Word Memoir
Mark's 6 Word Memoirs